B:UA Special: Enter the Sandman
by Bigby the Big Bad Wolf
Summary: Ben has been through much since his adventures in the Winter War. New friends, new loves. But now an enemy from his past has gained access to incredible power from a being older than the universe. And once again it's up to Ben and his gang of Arrancars to save the day. But can they really save the world from when their enemy is more powerful than Aizen?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Ben 10, Bleach, and the Sandman do not belong to me.**

**Well, everyone. Here's the prologue to my Bleach: Ultimate Alien special, where I have combined my crossover universe with that of my favorite comic book series, The Sandman written by Neil Gaiman.**

**Now, I've used the Sandman in a few of my stories already and some of you might even be Sandman/Neil Gaiman fans yourselves. But for those of you who don't know, the Sandman series is about the titular character, the Sandman aka Dream, who is a member of the Endless. There are seven of them. I don't know how much you'll learn all about them in this story, if at all, but I'll try to inform you about them the best I can. And readers like to be shown, not just told, so I'll do my best to achieve this instead of the info-dumps that I usually give you guys.**

**One important thing to let you guys know in advance; in the Sandman universe, all the different religions are true. Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Christianity, etc. They are all real. So don't be surprised in case I have some deity or afterlife other than Soul Society mentioned.**

**Bleach: Ultimate Alien Special: ****Enter the Sandman**

**Prologue**

There exists a place. It is the garden of Destiny. It has many paths that fork and divide. Every time you take a different path, you are making a different choice. And sometimes, when you look back, suddenly all you will see is just the one path you took. How many paths are there? How far do they go? And what waits at the end of them? Perhaps only Destiny himself truly knows.

Destiny walked through his garden. A tall figure wrapped in a hooded cloak. The hood covers his eyes. Chained to his wrist is a book. The greatest book, the greatest story, in the entire universe. For it is about the universe itself. Everything that ever was, everything that is, and everything that ever will be is in his book. And none but Destiny himself may its contents. At the moment, Destiny was in fact, reading his book. Having read the contents for now, he returned to his home in the garden. It was written that a guest was coming and that Destiny would meet him at his house.

When he arrived, Destiny did exactly as the book foretold. A table was set, food would soon be placed (Though his guest did not _require _food, the man still enjoyed the occasional creature comforts, besides, it was polite to do so) and now all that was left to do was wait. It did not take long, or maybe it took forever, there was no time in Destiny's garden.

"Well met, Lord Destiny of the Endless,"

Destiny turned to greet his guest. Standing before him was a man wearing a white lab coat, a pleasant smile on the man's face.

"Well met, Professor Paradox," Destiny said to the immortal that was Professor Paradox. A man, a scientist, who had experimented with the forces of time. An accident allowed him to gain full understanding of time and space. He could travel to anywhere, and any_when. _Within reason.

"You know why I've come," Paradox stated, rather than asked.

Destiny nodded. "I have read. I know why you have come. And I cannot deny that I feel…apprehensive."

"That is perfectly understandable, and a suitable emotion for this situation," Paradox said as he sat down on at Destiny's table.

Destiny then went into his gallery. Along the wall were six portraits. Each one had some sort of symbol on it. The first had a golden Ankh in the center. The second had a helmet that closer resembled a bulbous skull. The third was completely black. In the fourth was a small ring with a hook attached. In the fifth was a green glass (or possibly crystal) heart. The final portrait was an abstract of colors. Destiny went to the first and put his hand upon the Ankh.

"Sister!" He called. "I stand in my gallery! It is I, Destiny of the Endless, who calls you. Come!"

Suddenly a figure stepped out of the now blank portrait. She was woman of average height with milky white skin that contrasted with her long black hair. Her full lips were covered in black lipstick and there was a make-up pattern at the corner of her right eye; a little tail that curled down and looped back up again. She wore a necklace where an ankh, like the symbol in the portrait, hung, as well as a black top and pants.

"Hey, Big Brother," The woman said pleasantly. "What's the occasion?"

"I have called you here for a very important matter, my sister," Destiny said. "Come. Professor Paradox is waiting."

The woman smiled. "Professor Paradox? I haven't seen him in a while."

The woman and Destiny returned to where Destiny had left Paradox. The time traveler was being tended to by Destiny's servants, unusual creatures that looked like wraiths; thin, cloak-like shapes that fluttered to and fro as they put plates and silverware down on the table.

"Ah, Lady Death!" Paradox beamed when he saw the two Endless come in. The Professor and Death embraced each other like dear friends. Once they let go, the two sat down as Destiny's servants.

"If you're here, Professor," Death said as Destiny's servants gave her a plate filled with the fruit from Destiny's garden. "Then it _is _important."

Paradox nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so. As the two oldest of the Endless, you have a right to know. There is a storm coming."

"I know," Death said, looking at the table-top. Paradox took a banana from one of the plates and offered it to her.

"Always bring a banana to a party," Paradox said with a grin. "Bananas are good." Death giggled as she took the banana from Paradox. "How's the family?"

"Still the same," Death said. "Dream watches over the dreams of the universe, though he's tends to socialize a lot more with dreamers. He's come quite a long way."

"Indeed he has," Paradox chuckled as he took a sip from a cup of wine that had been placed next to him. "I have chatted with him on occasion. He does hold excellent conversations. Always a delight talking with him.

"Destruction remains missing," Death said, though her tone shown that this didn't bother her. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if you ran into him a few times."

"Oh, here and there," Paradox said casually with a wave of his hand. "When last I met him, his lyrics for a song had just been rejected."

"Our brother struggles to become the opposite of his existence," Destiny said, merely standing by the table instead of sitting down next to his sister and guest. "Though he continues to fail, his determination is most admirable."

"Desire and Despair are pretty much the same too," Death went on.

"I remember both of them," Paradox interjected. "Desire likes to give itself a pat on the back concerning me. It may not have had a personal hand in me becoming what I am today, but it takes delight in the fact that my own personal _desire _to make a time machine did. The lady Despair and I bear no ill will towards each other. After all, one must have despair if they are to have happiness. I remember her reaction the very first time I mentioned it. Heh. Never had I seen the dear lady so flustered."

"And Delirium misses you." Death grinned playfully.

Paradox chuckled. "Ah, yes. Lady Delirium was quite the company during my period of madness back in the event horizon."

"She misses you," Death teased. "Said you were one of her favorites."

"Considering that I was mad for a few millennia, I'm not surprised," Paradox said pleasantly. "Few people, sane or otherwise, tend to last so long."

Destiny looked at Professor Paradox. "I have consulted my book while you were conversing. It is as you say, Time Walker. There IS a storm coming. And your dear friend, the hero known as Ben Tennyson, as well as his Arrancar friends, are caught in the middle of it."

Paradox hung his head. "I know." Death put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You wish that it was possible for these events to be avoided, yet you know that what is to come must and _will_ happen," Destiny said. "You have my sympathies."

Paradox looked at Destiny and wondered, not for the first and certainly not the last time, whether Destiny's emotions were genuine or him simply acting out according to his book. A puppet who could see the strings, or better yet; a character that could see the written words. Speaking of the book, Paradox often wondered whether time travelers like him ever caused any actual changes to the book or if their actions were already written within.

"You could always peek ahead a few pages," Death said to her brother. "Just to see how it turns out."

"You above all people know that I cannot…" Destiny started to protest.

"Just kidding," Death smiled. "I'm sure everything will work out."

"I hope so," Professor Paradox replied wearily. "Because this is one battle…even I hesitate to look for spoilers about."

* * *

Meanwhile, on Earth, the man known as Hex was making his plans. Long had he **dreamed **of this day and now it was finally going to come into fruitation. In his private chambers, he scoured book after book to find what he needed. There was another in the room. A beautiful woman with silver hair. She glared at him.

"I've always thought you were many things, Uncle," She spat. "But not stupid."

"Stupid?" Hex asked the woman, his niece Charmcaster. "No, my dear. _Inspired_."

Charmcaster shook her head furiously. "You know better than to try and mess with one of _them. _Has history taught you nothing about what happens when one tries to best the Endless?"

Hex snorted as he took another book from his shelf and flipped through the pages. "You are referring to that fool, Roderick Burgess and his so-called "Order of Ancient Mysteries". The man had potential, but he aimed too high too quickly. He thought he could not only take on the Endless directly, but imprison _Death_! And what did he do when he captured Dream instead? He tried _negotiating _for Dream's freedom! Bah! As if locking one of _them_ away would ever work. The Endless have all the time in the universe."

"And you plan on doing the same thing." Charmcaster said, her arms crossed across her chest.

"Not at all," Hex said as he threw another book to the floor. "What I have in mind will be much more beneficial… After all, I don't plan on _imprisoning_ any of the Endless. Ah!" He turned the book in his hands over and presented the page to Charmcaster. On one page was a series of ritual circles and words written in latin. "See? These rituals will allow me to enter the Dreaming. And these symbols," He held out another book with a page full of sigils. "Will allow me to remain undetected in the Dreaming unless I am right in front of the Dream Lord's face. And then…I will able to claim my prize."

Charmcaster angrily shoved the book out of her face. "You say you're not going to end up like Burgess but here you are, thinking you can mess with Dream of the Endless and win. He is said to be more fearsome than Death! And it's him you wish to go up against?"

"Of course," Hex replied. "It's the only one that makes sense. It would be beyond suicidal to try and go after the power of Destiny or Death the way I currently am. So one of the other Endless will have to do. But which one? Delirium? Desire? Despair? Destruction? Why settle for just one of these, when I could have all of them and more with the power of _dreams. _Most people think dreams are just silly fantasies they get when they're asleep. But dreams are capable of more. So much more. Why else would there be an Endless of them?"

Charmcaster shook her head in disgust. "If you want to bring the Endless down on your head, that's fine but I want nothing to do with it! I know better than to risk _their _wrath_._" She made her way to the door but couldn't resist giving one last warning before leaving. "Sooner or later the Endless will get theirs, uncle. The Endless will get theirs. Like you said, 'they have all the time in the universe'." And then she left.

Hex held no anger towards his niece. In fact, she was being very wise. But Hex knew that he would succeed where any other mortal would fail. He looked over at a picture in a book he had managed to add to his collection long ago. The Liber Fulvarum Paginarum. And the book was open to one particular page. A picture of a robed man whose face was obscured by a bulbous helmet. Next to the picture was the writing 'Here is said the King of Dreams'.

"Oh, fearsome Nightmare Lord," Hex said as he gazed at the picture. "Mighty Lord Shaper, and wise Prince of Stories. Since the dawn of time and perhaps even further than that, you have ruled over the dreams of the universe. You have brought good dreams and you have brought nightmares. You have brought inspiration, you have brought hope, just as you have brought dread and even helped to bring despair. But soon, you shall make MY dreams come true."

* * *

And far away, in the castle of Dream, found in the heart of the Dreaming, Dream himself paced across the floor of his throne room. His white robes fluttered about him. His emerald swung back and forth like a pendulum in his wake. His companion, Mathew the raven, was sitting at one of the throne's armrests, watching his master move about.

"You okay, boss?" Mathew asked in concern.

"**I…I do not know, Mathew," **Dream admitted to his friend. "**I feel a great sense of foreboding. Something…something is going to happen. And it's going to happen soon. I don't know how I know this. I just do. I am not certain whether I should discuss this with my siblings or not."**

"Err," Mathew hesitated. He was always Dream's consultant but he found himself at a loss of what to do. "If you think you should talk to your family about this feeling you got, boss, then go ahead. Sometimes it helps to talk about these things. And who better to talk to than family?"

Dream contemplated this advice. **"I shall wait." **He said. **"I do not wish to bother my siblings until I have something more definite to these strange feelings. Instead I shall alert the staff and tell them we must prepare. If only I know what to tell them to prepare for."**

* * *

Lucian, a bookish man with a rather tall and thin frame, was busy filling up the library of the castle. A new set of books had been dreamed up and it was time to sort them out.

"Got some more books for ya, Loosh," A scarecrow like being with a pumpkin head said as he wheel-barrowed some more books into the library. "Boy, the things dreamers will come up with nowadays. Look at this. The barrow is full with those, uh, whatcha call 'em?"

"Fanfiction, Mervyn," Lucien explained. "They're quite the rage in the waking world from what I understand. They're when fans of a particular series create their own version of the story, usually adding new scenes or characters. A very popular habit is for writers to insert themselves into the story."

"So basically these _fanfictions_ are little written fantasies for idiots with no lives," Mervyn said as he lit his cigarette.

Lucian deadpanned at the pumpkinheaded janitor. "What an _amazing _observation, Mervyn." He said dryly.

"I'm just calling 'em like I see 'em, Loosh," Mervyn said with a chuckle.

It was at that moment that Mathew flew into the room. "Lucien. Merv."

"Hey, Mathew," Merv said as smoke fumed from his nose and eye sockets. "How's it hanging?"

"Something's got the boss spooked," Mathew said. "He says he feels something's going to be happening soon but he doesn't know what. He's getting ready to let the staff know to prepare…for whatever it is that's going to happen."

Mervyn and Lucien looked at each other in worry. Something got their boss worried? Well, if something got Dream of the Endless worried, then it was probably for a very good reason.

* * *

And in the waking world, sleeping safe and sound in his bed, Ben Tennyson is unaware of the events to come. For now, Ben Tennyson sleeps the sleep of the just.

**End of Prologue**

**Well, guys. What did you think of the prologue? Not all that exciting, I know. But not every chapter in a story can be exciting.**

**I don't know how long this story is going to be, but I'm gonna try and go for shorter chapter so that I can update faster. Now I don't plan on making the chapters sickly short like only a thousand words or so. Anywhere between 5,000 to 10,000 words a chapter should do it. This means that not every chapter is probably going to be exciting or action oriented, but I hope to balance the action of Bleach and Ben 10 with the sheer nature of storytelling that comes with the Sandman.**

**Something else I want to talk about is what I'm starting to call the "cursed fic idea" Ten Piece. Everytime somebody has adopted that story from me, they'd start out and then suddenly stop. It's either some reviewers giving them a hard time or being struck with writer's block on how to do it. It's like the fic is cursed never to be made. I know I have my own plan on a Ben 10/One Piece fic but I'm gonna be doing anymore Ben 10 crossover fics for awhile. Bleach: Ultimate Alien and Bleach: Omniverse are the only Ben 10 crossovers I'm gonna be doing for the time being.**

**But I still would like to write a One Piece fic, so if somebody can give me ideas on what to cross One Piece with (that hasn't already been used to death) I'd appreciate it.**

**Well, see you all next chapter!**


	2. Mr Sandman, send me a dream

**Disclaimer: Ben 10, Bleach, and the Sandman do not belong to me. Though I totally wish I owned the Sandman.**

It was the weekend and Sandra Tennyson was cleaning around the house, listening to the radio as she feather dusted a shelf. The radio was playing a favorite of hers:

_Mister Sandman, bring me a dream_  
_Make him the cutest that I've ever seen_  
_Give him two lips like roses and clover_  
_Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over_

_Sandman, I'm so alone_  
_Don't have nobody to call my own_  
_Please turn on your magic beam_  
_Mister Sandman, bring me a dream_

_Mister Sandman, bring me a dream_  
_Make him the cutest that I've ever seen_  
_Give him the word that I'm not a rover_  
_Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over_

_Sandman, I'm so alone_  
_Don't have nobody to call my own_  
_Please turn on your magic beam_  
_Mister Sandman, bring me a dream_

_Mister Sandman, bring us a dream_  
_Give him a pair of eyes with a come hither gleam_  
_Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci_  
_And lots of wavy hair like Liberace_

_Mister Sandman, someone to hold_  
_Would be so peachy before we're too old_  
_So please turn on your magic beam_  
_Mister Sandman, bring us_  
_Please, please, please_  
_Mister Sandman, bring us a dream_

"What an interesting song, Sandra," said a beautiful woman with dark skin and yellow hair said as she helped reorganize the furniture.

"Thank you, Tia," Sandra replied with a smile. "It's an oldie but a goodie. I'm surprised they still play it."

Tia Harribel, one of Ben's…girlfriends, crossed her arms underneath her most impressive bust and looked around. Her Fraccion; Cyan Sung-Sun and Franceska Mila Rose, alongside her companion Nelliel, were all at their jobs. The only other one still here was Emilou Apacci, who was enjoying her day off. "Where is Ben?" She wondered aloud.

Apacci looked around, also noticing Ben's absence. She groaned. "Don't tell me Ben's still asleep."

Sandra frowned. "He better not be. I know it's the weekend but that's no excuse for him to sleep the whole day away. Apacci, dear, can you go see if he's still in bed?"

Apacci shrugged. "Sure." And so she made her way to Ben's bedroom. She knocked on it. "Hey, Ben! You in there?"

All she heard in reply was a low grunt. Yep, he was still asleep alright. Jiggling with the handle to see if it was locked and, upon finding it wasn't, Apacci opened the door and went inside. Sure enough, Ben was sprawled out on his bed, his blanket only covering part of his body while the rest of it was lying on the floor. Apacci shook her head. As much as she loved him, Ben could be such a slob.

"Come on, Ben," she said shaking him. "Your mother wants you up."

"G-go away," Ben mumbled before rolling over. "I'm sleeping."

Apacci frowned and shook him harder. "Get up, Ben!"

Ben yawned but otherwise didn't stir. Apacci had to give him credit for that. She grit her teeth in frustration before tapping her chin. She thought back to Starrk and all the times Lilynette had gotten him up. It gave Apacci such a wicked idea. Grinning mischievously, she went over to the edge of the bed. She grabbed the mattress and, with a heave, lifted it up before slamming it back on the bed. The impact caused Ben to bounce off and fall flat on the floor.

"Ow!" he cried out, rubbing his now sore head. He glared at Apacci, who was just smirking at him. "What's the big idea, Apacci?"

Apacci chuckled. "You're the one who wouldn't get his lazy ass out of bed."

"Apacci!" Sandra called, causing said Arrancar to flinch. "You're not using foul language are you?"

"Uh, n-no ma'am!" She called back before glaring at a now chuckling Ben. "I managed to get Ben up though!"

"That's for sure," Ben grumbled as he got up to his feet. Then he noticed he was just wearing a t-shirt and boxers. Despite living with five gorgeous women, he was still self-conscious about being seen so underdressed by them. "Do you mind?"

"Just don't take so long," Apacci said nonchalantly as she went outside the room. Ben sighed as he closed the door.

"These girls are gonna be the death of me."

* * *

When Ben was fully dressed, he went into the living room. Apacci was just lazing around on the couch while Tia was reading a book Nelliel lent her.

"Morning!" he said cheerfully.

Tia raised a brow at him. "Ben, it's almost noon."

"Keyword there is almost," Ben pointed out before planting a kiss on her cheek. Tia smiled at the action despite herself. She enjoyed the fact that Ben was showing more affection to her and the other girls now. Ben made his way to the kitchen and got himself a bowl.

"Let me guess," Apacci said. "I don't get a kiss cause I woke you up?"

"That's right," Ben said as he poured himself some cereal. "But maybe if you make it up to me, I'll give you one later."

Apacci snorted.

"Ben, you needed to get out of bed, anyway," Tia told him. "You shouldn't waste your time sleeping."

Ben sighed. "I know. But…what is there to do?"

"Well, you could focus on your homework," Tia suggested, causing Ben to flinch. Not for the first time he wished that Tia had gotten some other job instead of being one of his school teachers.

"I'll…uh…work on it later," Ben said in a tone that convinced nobody. Tia rolled her eyes before resuming to read her book.

"Well, why don't you go out and patrol or something?" Apacci said. "Isn't that how your day usually goes? You got out, some bad guy appears, you beat him up, and then that Harangue bastard starts bitching about how much of a threat you are?"

"Apacci!" Apacci jumped as Sandra stuck her head out from one of the other rooms. Apacci hung her head.

"Sorry."

Sandra sighed before adding. "But you're right about Harangue though." Apacci perked her head up and Sandra winked at her.

"But that's the point," Ben said, referring to what Apacci said earlier. "Everything has become so...predictable. Usually I don't mind when some baddie shows up so I can kick their butt…but I do it so easily now. I'm pretty sure I can beat most of my enemies without even needing the Omnitrix thanks to the Hogyoku and Tia's training."

"You have improved greatly," Tia genuinely. "So basically you're upset because your enemies are no longer a challenge?"

"Pretty much. Like I said, predictable. You'd think they could've at least learned their lesson by now," Ben complained before digging into his cereal.

"You gotta admire their determination," Apacci said. "No matter how many times they get their a…_butts_ kicked, they keep coming back for more."

"Yeah," Ben said. "Guess I just wish they'd make things interesting again."

* * *

Inside of his mansion, Hex was waiting patiently in the chair of his den. Though his patience was running thin. His…_associates_ said they would be here soon. Hex quickly forced himself to remain calm. He knew that, if his plan were to succeed, he could not be hasty. Though he would appreciate it if his partners in crime actually bothered to be on time.

"Sorry for the wait, big guy," a snarling voice said.

"Hope we didn't keep you waiting long," said a second voice that sounded like it belonged to one of those stereotype muscle heads.

Hex opened his eyes and standing before him were two figures that hadn't been there before. One was a muscular, naked, green-skinned humanoid figure with a few strands of hair sticking out of its bald head. The other was a far more gruesome creature. It looked like a big pink ball with narrow, yellow eyes, a nasty mouth, and limbs that were small in comparison to its round body.

"Brute and Glob," Hex said as he rose from his chair. "The representations of brute strength and base cunning and former servants to the Lord of Dreams."

"That's right, till the boss imprisoned us in the Darkness," Said Glob, the roundish one. "But we escaped, met you and found out that you wanted to steal from the Dream King. Which is why we agreed to help you against our old master."

"For a moment I thought you had reneged on our deal," Hex said.

"Of course not," Glob laughed. "Anyone who's an enemy of the boss is a friend of ours. Eh, Brute?"

"Sure thing, Glob," said Brute. "You want to take down our lord. We'll gladly help you."

"What is it that you two did to become imprisoned anyway?" Hex couldn't help but wonder.

"Well…" Glob scratched his head. "It's kinda long story but bottom line is that, when our boss got imprisoned a while back, we decided to make our own Sandman, who'd we be controlling from behind the scenes."

"Ah, a puppet leader," Hex scratched his chin. "Clever."

"I won't bother you with the details," Glob went on. "But basically the boss got out a lot earlier than we expected, found out what we were doing…and he wasn't happy."

"So he imprisoned us in the Darkness," Brute finished.

Hex nodded. "What have you two been up to while I was waiting?"

"Checking out the Dreaming," Glob replied. "If this plan is going to work, we need to see if there's been any changes. And a few things have changed."

"Oh?" Hex asked.

"Fiddler's Green is gone, for one thing," Brute said, like it was of some great importance.

"Kinda surprising, that," Glob said. "Fiddler's Green was always so important to the Dreaming. Wonder what happened."

Hex had no idea who or what Fiddler's Green was, but it wasn't relevant to him. "Anything else?" he asked, resisting the temptation to add 'of significance?'.

"But the biggest change is this," Glob said. "The boss is different."

"Different?" Hex asked. "Different how?"

"He doesn't look anything like himself," Glob said. "He's all dressed in white and acts…nicer."

"Nicer?" Hex was a bit disappointed by this lack of information. "Is that all?"

"No," Glob said. "We've heard things. He's not the same boss me and Brute know. He's said to be so much kinder, socializes with the dreams, nightmares, and even dreamers more. There's only one explanation for it. He's been…replaced."

Hex raised a brow with interest. "Replaced?"

"You see, Hex," Glob said. "When an Endless dies, as unlikely as that is, they…"

"I already know this," Hex said with a wave of his hand. "When an Endless dies, they are replaced by a different version of themselves. A new 'point of view' as it were. And from what you have told me, the Dream King has been replaced by a kinder version of himself. Hmm," Hex narrowed his eyes. "Will this throw my plan off?"

"No," Glob said. "In fact, it might make your plan easier. This version might be more relaxed in his duties and therefore his guard might be lowered."

Hex smiled. "This is good news to hear. Soon we should be able to put my plan into action."

"Hold it, Hex," Glob said. "First we need to plan out how to get you into the castle. And there's no way in Heaven or Hell we're gonna go through the main gate."

"I take it that the entrance to the castle is guarded?" Hex questioned.

"Damn right it is," Brute said. "The gryphon, the hippogriff, and the wyvern."

"Not even your power is a match for those guys," Glob added. "Even if you somehow got lucky enough to take out one of them, the other two would rip you to less than shreds."

Despite himself, Hex actually felt apprehensive at Glob's words. "So…how do we get into the castle?"

"Oh, there are many other ways," Brute answered. "Secret ways that only the castle staff know. And that includes us."

"We can get you inside the castle, no problem," Glob assured Hex. "But we're gonna need to time it carefully. Don't think that just cause we're in the castle means we're home free. Wouldn't want to bump into the boss while we're trying to steal from him, would we?"

Hex's smile turned downright evil. "No. We would not."

* * *

"You know what really bugs me?" Ben asked.

Right now Ben and Apacci were walking down the street, trying to think of something to do. Ben was in the mood for Mr. Smoothies, as usual, but Apacci wasn't in the mood to go to her work place on her day off so the two were trying to see what other options they had.

Apacci looked at him. "What?"

"I'm nowhere closer to turning all those Hollows into Arrancar," Ben said, throwing his hands behind his head. "I mean, I told them I'd make them Arrancar but I still don't know how I'm supposed to do that. And it's been...oh, man has it been months, already? Man, I feel like, aside from a few battles here and there, I haven't really been doing anything**(*)**. Why'd I have to go and open my mouth like that?"

Apacci gave her boyfriend a sympathetic look. "Don't be like that, Ben. You were just trying to help. Your idea is awesome. You just didn't think it through."

Ben groaned.

Apacci looked at her feet. "Yeah. I mean, what can you do? You could try the Hogyoku like Aizen did."

Ben gave an involuntary shudder. The thought of him doing anything related to Aizen made him uneasy. "Can I? I mean, I'm nowhere near as powerful as he was." Harribel had explained to him how Aizen was able to temporarily bond with the Hoygoku while it was still asleep to make his Arrancar Army. But the reason he was able to pull it off was because he had twice as much reaitsu as a captain.

"Shouldn't matter now that the Hogyoku is awake," Apacci pointed out. "I mean, remember how it did all that stuff for you before Aizen fused with it? It seems to kinda like ya so maybe it'll help you out."

Ben scratched his head furiously. "Sadly it's the only thing I can think of."

Apacci smirked. "Too bad your Ultimatrix can't make _other _life forms evolve. Then maybe you could use that to make the Hollows into Arrancar instead." She walked for a little bit before finally noticing that she was walking by herself. Curious, she turned around to see Ben frozen, a wide-eyed, slack jawed look on his face. "Ben? Are you okay?"

"That's it!" Ben said cheerfully. Suddenly he grabbed Apacci and planted a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. Apacci stiffened in shock at the pleasant, tingling sensation that shot through her body. When Ben pulled away, she was dazed and confused, but certainly happy.

"Was it something I said?" Apacci practically mumbled.

"Come on!" Ben said excitedly, grabbing her arm. "Let's get the others! I think we've got the answer!"

* * *

In Hex's mansion, Hex, Brute and Glob were preparing.

"Now, Hex," Glob said. "When it comes to the Dreaming, it's all about location, location, location. There are many entrances the servants can use to get into the castle but we need to pick one in the further outskirts. Those sigils you placed on us can keep us from being sense directly, but if we cause too much of a ruckus, the boss will notice something's going on and check it out."

Hex folded his arms, which were also aligned with the same sigils he had placed on Brute and Glob. "Your plan is not very sound, Glob."

"Hey, you're the one who wants to steal from the boss in the first place, which means_ your_ plan was never sound to begin with!" Glob retorted.

Hex narrowed his eyes at the infuriating nightmare but he knew the little eyesore had a point.

"Now listen," Glob said. "We could just take you into the Dreaming directly, but there's a high chance we _might _get the boss's attention."

"You've done it enough times during your 'surveillance," Hex pointed out.

"We always used the dreams of someone else to sneak into the Dreaming," Glob said. "We couldn't risk just returning to the Dreaming like we used to. The boss might have caught us. So we're going to hop into someone's dream and then use it as a means of getting into the Dreaming. Kinda like a doorway. Once we're inside the Dreaming, we can make our way to the entrances inside the Castle."

"You're certain?" Hex couldn't help but ask. While Brute and Glob's inside information regarding the Dreaming was helpful, he couldn't help but question the two's competence.

"Buddy, we were of the Dream Lord's staff," Glob bragged. "When we were making that puppet Sandman, we hid inside a kid's dream and managed to seal him away from the rest of the Dreaming. Even though the boss eventually found us, we were able to keep him busy for awhile. We are professional nightmares, mortal. Do not underestimate us."

Hex snorted. As annoying as these two were, he would have to tolerate their presence. Without their knowledge, Hex really doubted his plans could have come so far.

"So now all we have to do is find someone who is sleeping and enter their dream?" Hex asked.

"Pretty much," Brute said. "Why can't we just use your dreams though?"

"Because, bone-head," Glob growled. "That would definitely get the boss' attention not to mention something could happen in the waking world, wake Hex up, and ruin everything. No, we need to use the dreams of someone else to get into the Dreaming."

Hex smiled. "This should be easy."

Glob laughed. "Keep smiling, you KISS wannabe. Because this will be the only easy part."

* * *

Ben and Apacci were currently with Kevin and Gwen at the Burger Shack, since Apacci was still against going to Mr. Smoothy's. Ben felt that he should tell those two first about his plan before informing the whole gang.

"So Apacci gave me this great idea," Ben said before popping some chili fries in his mouth. Once he was done eating, he resumed. "We can have Azmuth adjust the evolution feature on my Ultimatrix to affect Hollows, and then we use it to finally turn all of them into Arrancar."

Gwen took a sip of her soda before sighing. "Ben, it's a good plan. Really, it is. But are you sure it will work? I mean, Azmuth knows little to nothing about Hollows. They're not like other species and neither is how they evolve." She flinched before looking sheepishly at Apacci. "No offense."

Apacci shrugged nonchalantly. "None taken." She popped a fry in her mouth.

"Well," Kevin spoke up. "This is kinda wild guess but couldn't we get Urahara to help on this? I mean, he's the expert on Hollows, isn't he?"

"If he isn't then I think he at least knows more than other Shinigami," Ben said. "I mean, the only other person would be that Kurotsuchi guy and no way am I ever going to him for help."

"True," Kevin said with a nod. "Soul Society might not be too keen on you helping Hollows become even stronger."

"Not to mention Kurotsuchi is...creepy," Gwen shivered as she remembered the clown-like Captain. Honestly, he was bad enough to make anyone scared of clowns.

"Yeah, and he wants to use me as his guinea pig," Ben shivered, still remembering the way Kurotsuchi acted when the two first met. His face reddened as he remembered Kurotsuchi's desire to see where or not humans were capable of reproducing with Arrancar. Ben shook his head furiously before focusing back on topic.

"So Urahara brings the expertise, Azmuth brings the technology, and bam!" Ben clapped his fists together. "Problem solved!"

Gwen tapped her finger against the table. "It still sound sketchy but it _is _the best option we have right now." She smiled. "What have we got to lose?"

Ben beamed. "Great. Let's round up the others and have them meet us in Los Soledad. I've got a really good feeling about this."

* * *

Finding a dreaming person was easier than Hex had predicted. There was always someone sleeping somewhere. Brute and Glob assured him that they could just anybody dreaming and that made things easier still. The only true difficulty in this phase of the actually_ finding_ a sleeping person. But as luck would have it, the trio found hope in the form of a sleeping hobo. Not quite what they were looking for but they took what they could get. Using their abilities, Brute and Glob went into the man's dream, pulling Hex with him. The hobo's dream was quite predictable. The man dreamed of a good home, good wealth, and a great big feast that he was currently dining himself on, unaware that he had three intruders within his own mind.

The next thing Hex knew, he was suddenly standing in a vast desert. And vast it was. The sand stretched on for miles, maybe more so.

"Where are we now?" He asked Glob, who was being carried by Brute.

"The Shifting Zones," Glob explained. "These places are always so random and chaotic, I figured we'd draw the least amount of attention if we came here first. Then we can go straight onto the center of the Dreaming."

Hex nodded in understanding before looking out into the vast desert again. "Which direction do we take?"

"Follow us," Brute said. "We dreams know the way out of the shifting zones. On their own, mortals could be stuck wondering the Shifting Zones forever. Or maybe not at all. Time's tricky in the Dreaming, but it's even trickier in the Shifting Zones."

Hex said nothing, merely following Brute and Glob. He was on their turf now, they had the home field advantage. His only concern was being discovered by Dream himself.

* * *

Hex did not know how longed they walked, but since time meant nothing in dreams, he did not bother wondering. But no longer were they standing in a desert. Instead the three seemed to be standing in a lush meadow, a stark contrast to what they had been wondering through.

"Perfect," Glob smirked. "There's a door to the castle here. Now we've just got to find it."

Hex stood there with his arms folded as Brute and Glob started looking around the meadow. "I've been wondering about this for some time now, but can't you just bring yourself to the castle rather than going through doors?"

Brute and Glob both burst out laughing. "What are we?" Brute asked. "The boss?"

"He's right," Glob said in-between chortles. "Only the boss can instantly appear anywhere in the Dreaming. Even we dreams and nightmares still have to travel to reach our destinations. Getting in and out of dreams is easy. Getting somewhere _within _a dream? That's a little harder. Ah! Here we are!"

Brute and Glob were standing in front of a large boulder. Curious as to what it was about the boulder that got their attention, Hex went over to join them. The boulder had a door attached to it.

"This is it!" Glob shouted with glee. "We're in!"

Brute held Glob out to the door so the ball-like nightmare could grab the knob. He turned it and swung the door open. Hex could feel his excitement building as Brute and Glob went in first.

"Come on, Hex!" Glob called after him. Hex wasted no time in following after them.

* * *

Once passing through the door, Hex found himself in a vast hallway. Doors and portraits lined the walls. Hex smiled. They were here, in the castle of Dream. So close. He was so close.

"So now we're in," Glob said. "But just because we got passed the doorkeepers doesn't mean we're home free."

Hex quickly snapped out of his euphoria. He was too close to victory to let his guard down now. "So...where does he keep _it_?"

"When he doesn't have it on him, he has it in the throne room," Glob said. "Now let's get going. Tread lightly...and pray to whoever that the boss isn't in there."

Hex couldn't agree more. His whole plan hinged on the hope that the item he was seeking for was in the throne room while the Dream King himself was not. The three moved silently but swiftly down the halls.

"How big is the castle?" Hex asked in irritation. Everything looked the same and he wasn't sure if they were getting anywhere fast.

"As big as the boss wants it to be," Brute said. "He never has the castle look the same for long. It sure looks different from how it used to."

"Then how do you know where you're going?" Hex wondered.

"The castle's appearance changes," Brute admitted. "But the rooms are more or less the same. The throne room's not too far from here"

And so the three continued on their way. Their guard was constantly up, in fear they would run into the palace staff, or worse, Dream himself. But luck seemed to be on Hex's side as the trio found themselves going through more hallways and even a winding staircase, So far, so good. Nobody said anything, as if afraid that just speaking would ruin their good fortune. Eventually the three reached another hallway. But Hex could see the end, where two large doors stood.

Glob smiled nastily. "This is it," He whispered. "The throne room."

"Luckily we haven't run into anybody yet," Brute said. Then as an afterthought he wondered. "How come we haven't?"

"Don't complain, idiot!" Glob snarled.

"I'm not," Brute argued. "I'm just saying, don't you think this is a little easy?"

"Don't jinx it, you moron!" Glob swatted Brute's face. "We must've just had good timing. Let's not blow it by standing around here talking."

Hex couldn't agree more and decided to go on ahead. When he reached the doors, Brute and Glob finally realized what was going on and made their way over to him.

Here it was; the moment of truth.

"So, uh," Brute said. "What do we do now? Do we just go in?"

Hex decided that it was no or never. Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for the worst, he grabbed the doors and flung them open. Brute and Glob shut their eyes tightly, fearing that their boss would be waiting there. When nothing happened, the two nervously opened their eyes. Once they realized the throne room was empty, they both let out big sighs of relief and chuckled sheepishly.

Hex on the other hand was taking the time to enjoy the relevance of what he was experiencing. The throne room of Dream of the Endless. As if it wasn't enough to just be in his castle, but also in his throne room? Hex had a feeling that very few other dreamers, if any at all, had a right to say this. The room had a rather bright atmosphere, lush flora, paintings of intricate designs, tapestries of such craftsmanship. Hex had to admire the Lord Shaper's taste.

"Spread out," Glob said as Brute put him down. "_It's _got to be around here somewhere."

Right. What Hex was looking for.

"Ooh," Brute said, going over to a large chest next to the throne. "The old chest. I remember this.

"The chest?" Hex asked, looking to Glob for an explanation. Only Glob looked just as excited as Brute.

"The boss kept a lot of important stuff in there." Glob said. "I wouldn't be surprised if _it _was...

"Found it!" Brute exclaimed.

Hex was right at Brute's side in such an instant, you'd think he teleported. In Brute's hands was a small, leather pouch.

"At last," Hex whispered as he took the pouch from Brute. It wasn't heavy in the least, but Hex could feel the power radiating from it. "The pouch of the Sandman."

"So you finally got your prize, huh?" Glob asked.

Hex chuckled as he put the pouch in his robe. "Not yet. But this is the stepping stone that will help me obtain the real prize."

Brute and Glob were baffled. "Then...what is it you really want?"

Hex grinned at them, and for some reason, both nightmares were nervous by it. "All in good time, my friends," He said as he closed the chest. "Come. Let us return to the waking world. The next part of my plan is about to be put into action."

"Right," Glob said, shaking out of his nervousness. "Let's get out of here."

Suddenly the three froze when they heard a sound. A sound that froze their very bones. Well at least in Hex's case anyway. Who knew whether or not dreams had bones. But at the moment, the three were focusing on the footsteps that were coming from the hall.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Brute whimpered.

"We've got to get out of here!" Glob whispered furiously.

Hex looked for a quick exit and his eyes landed on the open window. Having no other option, Hex grabbed Brute and Glob and dashed for the window. Neither nightmare was able to protest as Hex jumped right out the window. Both nightmares were about to scream but Hex used his hands to clamp their mouths shut before focusing his power. Rather than the plummeting fall that Brute and Glob were expecting, they instead began hovering softly to the ground. The castle appeared to be surrounded by a forest. Once Hex touched the ground, he and Brute, with Glob in the later's arms, made a break for it. They didn't know who was about to enter the throne room and if it was who they thought it were, they needed to get out fast.

"Let's bail!" Glob cried.

Hex nodded and began chanting. Thanks to Brute and Glob, the spells needed to enter a dream were unnecessary. But it seems the one that allowed the user to leave a dream were still needed.

The three were engulfed in a white light and then, they were back out into the waking world, surprisingly where they had left the sleeping hobo. Hearing noise, the man slowly opened one eye...and screamed his head off upon seeing Brute and Glob. In a frenzy, the man got to his feet and started running as fast as he could.

_"That _was a close one," Brute sighed with relief.

"The boss is gonna find out you stole his pouch for sure," Glob told Hex.

But once again Hex caught the two nightmares off guard. He was chuckling. And it was growing until it became near maniacal.

"Oh, dear, Glob," Hex smiled at him. "I'm counting on it."

* * *

Back in the Dreaming, Dream and Lucien were heading to the throne room. Lucien was discussing the typical business of the Dreaming when they noticed the throne room doors were ajar.

**"Lucien," Dream said. "Why are the doors to the throne room ajar?**

"I-I don't know, lord," Lucien stammered, just as surprised if not more so. "Maybe Mervyn left it open after he was done cleaning it."

**"Perhaps," **Dream said. **"However..."** Dream went into the throne room and started looking around. He had a strange sense of foreboding, not unlike the one he felt before. He went over to the chest and opened it.** "Lucien, my pouch is missing."**

"What?!" Lucien dashed over to the chest and gasped when he realized the pouch was indeed gone. "W-what could've happened?"

**"Someone has come here and stolen my pouch**," Dream frowned. **"Was this the feeling I had?"**

"Pardon, lord?" Lucien asked.

**"Nothing, Lucien. But my pouch has been stolen. I cannot sense it, which means it is not in the Dreaming. Whoever has stolen it has brought it to the waking world."**

"Oh, dear," Lucien tapped his chin. "I dare not think of of the sort of havoc one could cause with the pouch. Now to mention how they could've stolen it, right under our noses."

**"That is indeed troublesome, Lucien. Such a feat would require craft and cunning. Somebody planned this."**

"But who, my lord?" Lucien asked. **  
**

**"That, I do not know, Lucien. And it makes me all the more concerned. I shall call the staff to make sure all of them are accounted for."**

Lucien's eyes widened. "My lord, you don't think one of them stole it, do you?"

**"I do not wish to think that, Lucien, however all possibilities must be taken into account. If all of the staff are here, then I will at least know it wasn't one of them."**

Lucien bowed. "Of course, my lord.

Focusing his power and with a flash of his emerald, Dream made himself appear throughout the castle and announced:

"**Everyone, gather into the Great Hall. I wish to speak with all of you of a great and dire matter."**

After then, Dream turned towards Lucien. **"Now we shall see if any of them are responsible."**

* * *

The various dreams and nightmares that served the Sandman personally had gathered into the great hall, curious about what their boss wanted to see them about. They didn't wait long as Dream appeared before them.

**"Hello, my subjects," **Dream said. **"I have called you all here because I have something important I wish to discuss with you. My pouch has been stolen."**

A collective gasp ran among the staff, Dream looked at each and every one of them.

**"Someone was able to steal my pouch from my domain, with me present. I had feared that perhaps one of you betrayed me."**

A second gasp ran through the crowd but they were quickly silenced when Dream raised his hand.

**"I can see that all of you are here and accounted for. I apologize for doubting any of your loyalty. But this does not change the fact that someone has my pouch and maybe in fact be using it in the waking world. I'm afraid I must leave you now until I find it. I leave Lucien in charge of matters while I am gone, but I trust each of you to fulfill your duties as you wouls normally. I do not know how long it will take me to find the pouch, but I hope it shall not be long. Return to your work now."**

And with a flash of his emerald, Dream dismissed the staff. Mathew, who he had not sent away, flew over to him.

"Man, boss," The raven said. "Somebody actually stole your pouch?"

**"Indeed they did, Mathew. How and why, I do not know. Though perhaps I shall have these answers when I find the one responsible."**

"Uh, I don't get it, though, boss," Mathew said. "I mean, the pouch just contains that magic sand you use to put people to sleep. How much damage can the pouch really do?"

**"Oh, the pouch is far more capable than that, Mathew. So much more. If used irresponsible, the dreams the pouch brings can devour your mind, devastate your body..."**

"Yeesh!" Mathew crowed in disgust. "Your sleep sand can do _that?"_

**"Yes, Mathew,"** Dream said.** "The pouch is not a toy and I am the only one who can use it's power properly. And it is without a doubt that the one who stole the pouch knows its capabilities and took it with wicked intent."**

"Understood, boss," Mathew said. "So what's first? Where are you going to start looking?"

**"Earth, perhaps,"** Dream replied. **"The culprit may not have necessarily been human, or mortal for that matter, but it as good a place to start as any."**

"Think you may need some help on this one?" Mathew asked. "I mean, you're Dream of the Endless and all, but it wouldn't hurt to have a helping hand."

**"Hmm,"** Dream cupped his chin. **"A little assistance? Perhaps." **Suddenly Dream's eyes flashed.** "And I believe I know how to ask. Professor Paradox has spoken quite highly of him, and his accomplishments speak for themselves. I shall go and talk to him."**

"Who, boss?" Mathew wondered.

* * *

At the Tennyson house, Ben, Gwen, Kevin, and Apacci were with Harribel, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, and Nelliel. Since they were his girlfriends and all, Ben wanted to get them first before rallying up the others. It hadn't been easy waiting for them to get off work but the wait was worth it.

"What's going on, Ben?" Mila Rose asked. "You sure sounded excited over the phone."

"I think we finally have a way to get the Hollows into Arrancar," Ben said. "And Apacci helped." The ones who hadn't been clued in on Ben's plan were shocked. Apacci couldn't help but flash a smug grin on her face. Mila Rose noticed her haughty attitude and scowled at her.

"You do?" Sung-Sun asked, ignoring the visual antics of her comrades.. "What is it?"

"I'll tell you when we get to Los Soledad," Ben said. "First we need to get the others and have them meet us there. That way I can tell you all at once."

The other girls looked at each other, wondering what their boyfriend could possibly have up his sleeve. And whether or not it would really work.

"Come on!" Ben said, already heading for the door. "Let's get going."

"He sure is excited," Nelliel said, giggling a little at how giddy Ben was being.

"Well, now that he's finally come up with something, he can't help but be excited," Gwen figured.

Ben grabbed the door and flung it open, ready to head to his car. But something brought him to a screeching halt.

Everyone turned towards the door and their eyes widened to see a thin, pale man robed in white standing in front of Ben. If that wasn't bad enough, the others were unnerved by his freakish eyes. Instead of normal eyes, the man's eyelids were pitch black except for some faint light shining through them.

**"Ben Tennyson, I presume?****" **The man asked.

**End of Chapter**

**And so Dream has come to recruit Ben. Meanwhile Hex continues on with his plans. What does he intend to do with the pouch? And what is the real prize he's after? Find out here in Enter the Sandman.**

**(1) This is a reference to how in Volume II of my Bleach: Ultimate Alien series, all the chapters have really been nothing but filler and the story really hasn't gotten anywhere.**

**Yeah, sorry for the lack of action here, guys. But I had to get the story moving along. The action is coming up soon, though. I promise. And I apologize for not going into details regarding the Dreaming. I...I suck when it comes to describing things, I really do.**

**By the way, I've taken an interest in the movie**** Frozen. I haven't seen the movie but I've heard lots of good stuff about it. Even those that didn't like the movie didn't think it was an awful film, they just felt it could've used more development. Does anybody know where I can watch Frozen online?**

**Meanwhile, Count Kulalu has been collaborating with me on this old idea of mine I had years ago: A Nightmare Before Christmas/One Piece crossover, where Jack Skellington finds a new door that lands him in the world of One Piece. But we're still going through all the ideas and stuff.**

**But there's some other things I need to tell you guys. To be honest, I'm really starting to lose my interest in writing Ben 10 fics. The hype I used to feel just isn't there anymore. Maybe it'll pick up again, I don't know. Right now though, I'm just not feeling it. After constantly writing Ben 10 fics, I want to try something different.**

**So yeah, at the moment I really don't have any motivation to continue writing Ben 10 stuff. But I know that my readers still want to see how the ones I have on the site play out. And then there's my buddy Pyromania101 who's not only helped me with my stories but actually created an entire wiki dedicated to my Ben 10/Bleach fics. He's put so much hard work, time and effort into it, I don't want to let him down. I honestly don't know what to do. If I do decide to quit, I MIGHT put my stories up for adoption, but I don't think anybody would want to adopt them. Nothing's definite yet. Maybe my motivation will come back. I'll just have to wait and see.**


End file.
